


Another Day

by MiniMoffat



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Fluff, Idek what ships will actually be here, M/M, Maybe some Yullen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:53:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25129591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniMoffat/pseuds/MiniMoffat
Summary: Japanese style high school AU because why not. Allen's the new kid who's got a weirdly shaped scar, Lenalee Lee's the track star of the school, Lavi's not-so-secretly a star student but no one sees him study and is super popular with the ladies, Kanda's the captain of the kendo club. The Noah are the ~~bad kids~~ no one wants to hang out with and rumor has it they're part of a gang.Different chapters will focus on different friendships, but the first one is mostly setting up Allen meeting almost everyone first. Sorry if it ends up being a little boring.
Relationships: Chomesuke/Lavi (D.Gray-man), Kanda Yuu & Lenalee Lee, Kanda Yuu/Alma Karma, Lavi/Lenalee Lee, Lenalee Lee/Allen Walker, Road Kamelot/Allen Walker
Kudos: 11





	1. Home

His hands gripped the paper between his fingers a little too tightly as he squinted, looking at the numbers displayed above the classrooms. He was already a little late, which made him feel guilty. Cross, his legal guardian, had insisted Allen switch schools mid-year and disappeared off of the face of the Earth, probably due to his increasingly large debt. He'd resurface in a couple years, probably once the two of them had scrounged up enough money to pay it back. The occurrence wasn't _abnormal_ by any means, but he had finally gotten used to them settling down a little. Still, he was a little excited about the school. Cross had recommended this school himself having known quite a bit of the faculty. Allen had never heard much about his guardian having friends, so he was having a hard time imagining what these people were like.

His eyes finally settled upon his classroom and he opened the door slowly, cheeks turning a faint shade of pink as all the eyes moved towards him. He bowed nervously, though the teacher only responded by giving him a warm smile.

"Sorry I'm late," Allen said as he stood straight up once more, "I uh--"

"It's alright. New schools are always tough." He stated, "I'm Mr. Wenham, do you want to introduce yourself to the class?" Allen returned the smile and nodded, albeit a bit nervously.

His eyes scanned the room, taking note of the different faces staring back at him. Two faces stood out to him in particular as he gave a short introduction--one girl's smile radiated kindness in a way most others didn't and she focused intently on him as if committing every word to memory. He could already tell that she was probably pretty popular. Having a kind aura and good listening skills got you far, as he'd learned while dealing with Cross' debt collectors. The other girl that caught his attention had a smile that instead sent shivers down his spine. She seemed absurdly amused by his presence and upon noticing her, he couldn't help but shift his weight from one foot to the other.

"Do you want to take a seat by Lenalee?" The teacher said, pointing at an empty desk. Allen, having been stuck on the creepy girl with spikey hair's intent gaze, hadn't taken note of where Mr. Wenham had pointed. He blinked a couple times as his attention was forced back towards the teacher, brows knitting together.

"Hm?"

"Over by me." The first girl had stated, raising her hand to show who had spoken up. Relief flooded over Allen upon seeing her and he weaved his way through the occupied desks to sit next to her. Upon sitting down, he glanced towards her.

"Sorry, what was your name?"

"Lenalee." She stated, offering that same smile he had noticed while introducing himself. She extended a hand out towards him and his own smile grew upon taking it. God, he really hoped he was going to like it here.

\---

As soon as lunch began, Lenalee turned in her seat to face Allen, her lips curling into a smile once more.

"A couple of my friends and I eat lunch on the lawn together. You're welcome to join us if you want." He wasn't sure if he could turn her down even if he wanted to with how excited she seemed at the prospect of having a new friend. 

"If it's not too much of an intrusion!" 

"Great!" She said, grabbing a bento box from her bag as she stood up. 

"You can't hog the new kid already, Lena~" A voice rang out from behind Allen. When he turned, he found the girl with the unsettling smile leaning over the desk next to his.

"Ah--I'm not meaning to." Lenalee stated, "Allen, if you want to join Road, you can. I wouldn't want to keep you from making other friends." As his blue eyes glanced back towards Lenalee, he could tell she also looked mildly uncomfortable. Road moved from where she had been perched to walk towards Allen's desk, leaning in uncomfortably close. Lenalee averted her gaze, uncertain as to what kind of intimacy she was possibly intruding on. "Ah--I'll just leave you two alone." She laughed nervously before beginning to walk away.

Allen stood from his seat, a little taken back from Road's proximity to him and Lenalee's sudden departure. He glanced towards the girl leaving before finally locking eyes with the one right next to him, pressing his lips tightly together. "Ah, sorry--I've already promised Lenalee I would have lunch with her. Maybe tomorrow?"

Road puffed her cheeks and glanced towards the doorway of the classroom. A small whine escaped her lips before she placed her hands behind her back and stood up straight. "Mmm~ Only if you promise."

Allen was slightly taken aback by the strange encounter, but he gave her a short nod before grabbing his own bento box and rushing after Lenalee. "Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to be rude back there," Allen apologized upon catching up with her. Lenalee shook her head, offering that same smile back towards him.

"You weren't rude. I just thought..." She paused for a moment, knitting her brows tightly together. "Did you know Road before you came here?" 

"No, I don't really know anyone here. I mean, my guardian apparently has a friend who works here, but I've never met him."

"Ah...that's weird." Lenalee tilted her head to the side, "Road usually is only close with her friends. I've never seen her that interested in someone outside of the people she already knows."

Allen laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Is that so? That's a little weird then. I wonder if I remind her of someone."

Lenalee pressed her lips tightly together before opening her mouth to speak once more, but seemed to change her mind as her expression visibly changed. "Oh, so who does your dad know?"

"Guardian," Allen corrected, "And his name's Komui Lee? I think he teaches science here." A giggle escaped her lips and Allen could feel his cheeks getting warm.

"What a coincidence. That's my brother." Allen's eyes widened slightly and the embarrassed blush made way for an excited smile.

"Really?! What's he like? I never get to meet any of Cross' friends!"

"Well, he's a little eccentric, but he doesn't really mean anything by i--"

Another voice cut her off. "Lenalee~" Another boy whined as he approached from behind and rested his hands on her shoulders. He shook her lightly before resting his chin on the top of her head, which Lenalee returned with a gentle pat to the side of his head. "You have to tell Kanda to give me back my phone. He was getting annoyed at me texting and stole it from me during break."

"Were you ignoring him?" The black haired girl asked, this time pulling at the man's cheek slightly. He feigned a whine and straightened to walk behind her, rubbing his cheek after she finally let go.

"He wasn't even talking! I was just texting Chomesuke." The ginger actually whined this time, though stopped once his one green orb finally caught onto the new kid. "New friend?"

Lenalee smiled and nodded, looking towards Allen. "Lavi, this is Allen! He's new in my class. I invited him to eat lunch with us, I hope that's alright."

Lavi placed a hand on Allen's shoulder and smiled, "Any friend of Lenalee's is welcome~ I'm not sure Kanda will say the same, though. He's in a bad mood today."

A giggle escaped the black haired girl's lips and she shrugged her shoulders gently. "Kanda's always in a bad mood. I'm sure he won't mind more than normal." Lavi gave an uncertain hum.

\---

There was already another boy sitting under the tree Allen had already learned to be the group's normal spot for lunch. From the power of deduction, he had already figured this must have been the Kanda they had been discussing earlier. This was only confirmed when Lenalee stuck her hand in his face, demanding Lavi's phone back.

"Fuck no," The new boy was surprised by the harshness of the response, especially in front of someone he hadn't met before. "Like hell I'm going to listen to him giggle all through class." Lenalee didn't put up too much of a fight on the subject, instead turning to face the one-eyed boy and giving him a shrug.

"End of day then." She said sternly. Both of the boys arguing didn't reply and Lavi was the only one to show any emotion when he crossed his arms over his chest and let out a pout.

"I bet he's just jealous Chomesuke pays attention to me."

"Like hell I am." Kanda scoffed, " _I_ don't need external validation to feel good about myself." Allen shifted his weight nervously and glanced towards the grass. Did Lenalee have to deal with this all the time? It sounded like him and Lavi weren't friends at all, really. "Who's the beansprout, anyways?"

It took Allen a moment to realize that the comment was directed towards him. He glanced towards the man sitting on the ground, his face flushing hot with anger. "Beansprout?! I'm not even that short!" He huffed.

"Short enough, Beansprout."

"The name's Allen. _Allen_." He enunciated extra slow for the long haired boy, suddenly feeling the annoyance Lavi must had felt. Lenalee was quick to physically step between them in an attempt to deescalate the situation. 

"Kanda, please calm down. This is Allen and he's new here. I thought it'd be nice if we invited him to lunch. Please, _please_ be nice." She begged. Kanda replied by merely giving a loud huff, but didn't engage in the taunting any longer. Lenalee turned back towards Allen and smiled, motioning for him to sit down. He hesitated a moment, blue eyes glaring at Kanda for a moment before taking a seat as far away from him as he could manage without seeming too rude.

"So, Allen, what do you like to do?" Lavi prodded after a moment of awkward silence.

"Ah, well, I don't really know. I'm pretty good at cards." He shrugged, knowing full well that that was one of the things he was _very_ good at. Still, he couldn't reveal his hand too early. It was always most satisfying to watch people's reaction when they realized they were going to lose everything they had. 

"I guess I'm the only one not good at anything, then." Lavi gave out a dramatic sigh, pulling a sandwich from the sparse bento box he had brought with him. Allen's curiosity was piqued and he raised an eyebrow, looking towards Lenalee and Kanda. "Lenalee's little miss track star, actually putting our school on the map in that field."

"It's a team effort, he's too nice to me." Lenalee chimed in quickly.

"Hardly. I wouldn't be surprised if you competed in the Olympics after high school or something."

Allen turned his attention back towards Lavi, already determining that Lenalee was probably too modest to speak very highly of herself. However, he still wasn't sure if Lavi was the type to over-exaggerate about his friends or not. "Is she really that good?"

"She's _really_ fast." He nodded. "I'm sure Komui will drag you to one of her meets if you hang out with us much longer. He's her biggest fan."

"Obsessive, if you ask me." Kanda chimed in and Lenalee laughed nervously, though she didn't deny it. Lavi leaned back on the grass, propping himself up with one elbow as he continued to eat his sandwich.

"Kanda over here's the captain of the kendo club, too." He said, gesturing vaguely in the shinai that Allen hadn't noticed was laying out the ground next to him. He had to admit, that was actually kind of cool even if this guy was a jerk. 

"Lavi's good at being an idiot around women." Kanda offered, causing Lavi to toss the remains of his sandwich at him. The boy with the long hair dodged it expertly, though Allen was certain Lavi hadn't really been trying either.

"Lavi's really smart!" Allen had to admire Lenalee--she always seemed to want to say something nice about other people. Though, it made him wonder why she had seemed so uncomfortable with the girl in their class earlier. Lavi rolled his visible eye in response.

"Says the girl who tests higher than me." 

"Well, if you studied with me, you'd definitely be getting higher scores than me."

"What's the fun in that~?"

Lenalee turned her attention back towards Allen, a smile on her lips. "The three of us usually get together before tests to study. I'm usually the only one really studying, but you're free to come if you want! Komui usually makes us dinner and helps us. It's really helpful!"

"She means Komui chaperones." Lavi stated, letting out a small chuckle as Lenalee's dark eyes glared back towards him. Allen was starting to gather that her relationship with her older brother may be a bit weirder than most others, but he dared not question it on the first day meeting her. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable. It seemed it was some information she really didn't want to offer up just yet considering the death glare she had given the redhead.

"I'd like that, thank you!" Allen smiled towards Lenalee. She gave a nod in return, definitely excited at the prospect of having someone else who might take studying seriously. It was odd to feel this included. He hadn't had many friends at his previous schools--people seemed a bit wary of him because of the strangely shaped scar across his left eye. Either people avoided him altogether or asked too many questions he was uncomfortable with and he distanced himself. This group hadn't even batted an eyelash. Plus, it helped he wasn't the only one who seemed to have a problem with his eye. That probably helped. 

\---

His first day had been exhausting, that was for sure. He turned on the light to his apartment, greeted only by the chirp of Cross' cat. Usually he had taken him with him when he disappeared, but he had left a note telling Allen to bring him with him into the city for school so he wouldn't be lonely. Allen had originally scoffed at the letter, knowing that Cross hadn't cared about how lonely he was the previous times he had disappeared. Still, as he moved to sit on the couch next to the newly-awakened orange cat, he had to admit it was nice to have someone to talk to when he came home.

"I'm home, Timcampy." He said with a smile, giving the cat a gentle rub on the top of the head. The cat got to it's feet and moved to bring it's front to paws on Allen's legs, begging for more pets. The white haired boy obliged and his smile grew a bit wider, thinking about the people he had met throughout the day. Kanda was a little rough, but Lenalee had insisted he was nice once you got to know him. Lavi seemed interesting, though a bit like a playboy. Lenalee was just as nice as he had expected when he had first seen her. Allen brought a hand to wipe at one of his eyes, feeling a wave of relief crashing upon him so hard that his eyes began to tear up ever so slightly.

"I think I made some new friends today."


	2. Rulers - Lenalee & Komui

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lenalee has to deal with her brother's obsessive behavior now that she's hanging around both the school's flirt and the new kid.

Lenalee was generally well-liked at school, but she didn't talk to many people. When she had finally made it to high school, there had already been rumors circulating that Komui Lee's little sister had arrived at the school and she had later found out it was because he had kept a photo of her on his desk and talked about her any time something even _remotely_ relative to her came up. She had been barred from being in his homeroom, which was a small relief. As much as she cared for her brother, she couldn't imagine how much worse his doting would be on her. She was certain that the school's decision to keep her from his class was solely based on the fact that he couldn't remain impartial about her grades. Despite how much she studied and how she had set firm boundaries with her brother about helping her with homework when she needed it, there were still some people that blamed her success on her brother's status.

"Lenalee, can I talk to you for a moment?" Lenalee had met Mr. Wenhamm before she had transferred to the school because of he was close friends with her brother, but made sure to keep a professional attitude with him at all times. She had been thankful that rumors hadn't really spread that it was inappropriate for her to be in his class as well, as she had never really grown close to him. Komui had been preparing her to come to this school since he got the job when she was in elementary school and had realized quickly that him and Reever needed to keep their friendship outside of his home.

The young girl glanced towards Allen, who was being dragged away by the hand from Road anyways. He gave a guilty smile back towards her but was quickly tugged so hard he almost tripped. Road gave a smirk back towards Lenalee, which made her brows furrow slightly. In reality, she had no problem with Road. She just wasn't sure if Allen was aware of the reputation of her hand her friends--The Noah, as they called themselves. They definitely were the delinquents of the school and rumors circled around that they were part of a gang after school. She had known how damaging rumors could be though and had never looked too far into it. 

She made her way towards Mr. Wenhamm's desk, offering him a small smile. "Is there something I can help with?" She asked. Her teacher let out a small sigh and shook his head.

"I saw you were hanging out with Allen Walker yesterday." Lenalee nodded, tilting her head to the side.

"Is that a problem?"

Reever shook his head quickly, propping his chin up with his elbow on the desk. "Have you warned him about your brother?" Lenalee let out a relieved sigh. Komui was getting better, she was certain of it. "I know Komui saw it, too." 

"You worry too much, really!" She insisted, shaking her head. "Lavi warned him a little bit, but I don't think it will be a problem. He doesn't harass Kanda at all any more and he's eased up on Lavi a lot. I think it'll be fine!" Mr. Wenhamm pressed his lips into a tight line, shaking his head a little bit. She could tell from his pained expression that he knew something was going to happen, but he wasn't going to tell her for some reason or another. Perhaps he just simply didn't know any specifics.

"I'm not so sure about that." He sighed. She wondered just how much Mr. Wenhamm had had to deal with Komui. He had come home late last night, probably because he was drinking with Mr. Wenhamm and Johnny, the assistant language teacher. Had Komui gone on one of his rants again about how Lenalee needed to stay pure and that no guys were allowed to be in her vicinity? Certainly he had stopped doing that, right? "Anyways, I just wanted to let you know. You should probably give the kid a fair warning."

The teenager smiled once again, giving a small nod. "I appreciate the concern." She stated before turning on her heel, moving towards the door where she saw the tallest of her friends waiting impatiently for her.

"What was that about?" Lavi asked, placing an arm around Lenalee's shoulders.

"He was just worried about Allen." Lenalee shrugged, "He thinks that--" Lenalee was cut off upon feeling a presence uncomfortably close. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her brother's eyes gleaming with something she hadn't seen in a while. Lavi instantly tensed up upon noticing the teacher, having known full well what this meant. He hadn't had time to react, however, before Komui grabbed Lavi's arm and forced it to Lavi's side.

Was was more surprising, however, was when Komui reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a ruler. "Lenalee~" He cooed, pushing Lavi gently to the side before setting it between the two of them. Lenalee's cheeks turned bright red in embarrassment and she quickly glanced around the hall, taking note of all of the people who had noticed. Dark hues then landed on her friend, noting that his own face was red as well. It definitely wasn't a secret that Lavi was flirtatious around women, but it was a well known fact that the two of them were just friends. She had made sure to drill that in her brother's brain, just as she had with Kanda.

"Komui, what are you doing?" She whispered harshly. "This is embarrassing."

"Lenalee~ You know I can't have you walking around with some boy's arm around you~" His voice sounded almost like a song and he wrapped his own arm around his younger sister's shoulder after wedging himself between the two teenagers. "I can't have someone stealing you away from me!" 

"I'm not trying to--"

"Ah, ah, ah~" Komui sang, glancing towards Lavi with the finger of his free hand to his lips. "Lenalee's going to each lunch with me today~ I've prepared a special meal in my office." Without a chance to protest, he began ushering Lenalee towards the teacher's office as quickly as he could, leaving Lenalee to only be able to glance over her shoulder at Lavi's surprised expression before mouthing sorry to him.

Upon arriving at the teacher's office, he shut the door behind him quickly, as if he was afraid that Lavi would have followed them. When he finally let go, Lenalee let out an audible sigh. She didn't even know where to begin with this. She truly did appreciate her brother's support, but it was times like these that she really didn't understand him. She was a teenager. He was going to have to let her go eventually. Even quite a few of the girls on the track teams already had boyfriends. Not that she was looking for a boyfriend of course, but she wanted that decision to stay single to be her own decision, not her brother's.

This time, as he ushered her to his desk, he was much more gentle. He had some nice meals set up, probably from the school's lead cook, Jerry. One of the things that couldn't be denied about their school is that they had the _best_ food. Her stomach growled as the smell of freshly cooked soba filled her nostrils, but she remained standing behind the seat that was laid out for her.

When Komui noticed she wasn't sitting down next to him, he blinked up at her with an innocent look. "It'll get cold if you don't eat!" He beamed up at her. Her hands rested against the back of the chair meant for her and they gripped it tightly in annoyance.

"I thought you were doing better about Lavi." She sighed. Her brother stopped eating his rice and stared in front of him, the smile on his lips fading. "He's my _friend_ , Komui."

"Why can't you find some nice girl friends~?" He offered, finally taking a bite of his rice.

"I'm friends with girls on the track team, too. You know that. But I've been friends with Kanda since elementary school and Lavi's _just_ as important to me." She couldn't help but notice a wince at her friend's name, but she didn't dare ask about it. The sudden realization that he stopped bothering her about Kanda likely _wasn't_ that he had gotten used to him. It was no secret that Kanda had an attitude and it was naive to think that her friend would be more respectful just because Komui was her brother. She let out another sigh, letting her shoulder length hair fall into her face. 

"You should hang out with those girls more! They all seem very nice." In truth, they _were_ nice. Some were a little jealous that Lenalee had quickly become the star of the track team, but they weren't outwardly mean to her or anything. She had just heard mean whispers when some thought she couldn't hear. It definitely wasn't _everyone_ , but she also didn't want the other girls on the team to feel alienated. She knew how other teenagers girls could be sometimes.

"They are, but that's not the point, Komui. There's nothing going on between Lavi, Kanda, and I." She insisted.

"And Allen Walker?" Komui raised a brow, glancing up towards his younger sister. Her brows furrowed and she shook her head.

"I've known him one day!"

"He walks too close to you." Her brother countered in a tone that suggested he had caught her in a lie.

"Allen walks a _normal_ distance away. He's very polite. And he wasn't even going to eat lunch with us today." 

"I know how boys think, Lenalee. You can't trust any of them." Lenalee's hands gripped the back of the chair tighter, her knuckles beginning to turn white from the pressure. After a moment, she finally let go and took a step back. Dark hues glanced towards the clock, taking note that it was nearly time for her to go back to her class. She shook her head, refusing to meet her brother's gaze as she turned away without another word.

It was absurd to think that any of her friends had romantic inclinations towards her. After all this time, her and Kanda were more like siblings than anything. It was true he was one of the few people he didn't frequently lash out at, but that was from sheer perseverance on her part. Lavi had his pick of the girls. She had to admit, he was funny, smart, and good looking. It wasn't a secret why many of the girls were happy to try and get his attention. He also just didn't seem interested in dating anyone and had never once talked seriously about anything other than flirting with a girl, so she was certain he just wasn't interested in any real romantic relationships either. Allen, of course, she didn't know very well yet. That didn't mean that he was going to immediately try and swoop her away from her brother, anyways. He had been kind and respectful and it was far, far too soon for him to have any actual feelings for her. This was all on top of the fact that she just simply didn't _care_ to date anyone, anyways. Lenalee had no intention of finding a boyfriend any time soon and that fact alone should have been respected. Her friends weren't animals who, even if they did have feelings for her would try and force anything on her. 

She was in a visibly bad mood by the time she made it to her seat. It was still a little early, but Allen entered the classroom shortly after she had. He raised a brow at her before sitting down in his seat, definitely contemplating asking what had happened or if that would seem like he was prying.

"Are you alright?" He finally asked, turning in his seat so he could face her completely. Lenalee let out a sigh and let her shoulders drop slightly.

"Do you want to get food or something after track practice?" She asked, forcing a smile on her lips. She thought it would be nice to get to know him more and her brother had a faculty meeting until late anyways. It's not like he would find out that the two of them were hanging out. The white haired boy tilted his head to the side, definitely confused by the sudden offer. However, he smiled and gave her a quick nod as Mr. Wenhamm entered the classroom once more.

\---

Lenalee had to admit, she was excited to get to know Allen better. Midway through practice she had realized she probably should have invited Lavi and Kanda long, but hadn't thought to text them before her track practice began. Lavi was definitely home by now and Kanda usually stayed extra late to continue practicing kendo and got extra grumpy when she would go invite him last minute. It was fine, though. It was an opportunity to get to know Allen better on her own!

She had cleaned up as quickly as she could, feeling guilty for having him wait as long as she had. A wide smile formed on her lips as she hurried to meet him outside the front of the school, but her face dropped as soon as she saw her brother speaking with Allen. She gripped her bag's shoulder strap tightly, knowing full well that this wasn't going to be just a friendly teacher-student chat between the two of them. After his fit earlier, there was no way.

Hurrying towards the two of them, she couldn't help but overhear some of her brother's usual comments about how Allen needed to keep his eyes and hands to himself.

"Komui," Lenalee said, placing a hand on her brother's arm, "I thought you had a faculty meeting today." 

A wide grin formed upon the eldest's lips and he moved to bring Lenalee into a tight hug. "I skipped~ After our conversation earlier I thought I'd give you a ride home." Dark hues glanced towards Allen, who was visibly shaken by whatever verbal assault about her purity he had been on the receiving end of. 

"Did you forget our conversation?" She asked, motioning towards her friend.

"Of course not~ I was just telling him some of our rules."

" _Our_ rules?" Lenalee challenged him.

"You know~ Keeping his eyes and hands to himself, maintaining a wide distance, no inappropriate comments, no hanging out with you alo--" Lenalee smacked her brother's arm, though it was only hard enough to for him to stop talking and rub his arm a little. The young girl stepped between the two of them, facing Allen's direction. He seemed to become a bit more alert when she physically stepped between them.

"I'm sorry about my brother, Allen. He's a bit overprotective. I know Lavi mentioned that earlier and I probably should have warned you before inviting you out." Allen shook his head, his full focus now on her.

"It's alright, really." He smiled first at her, then towards the taller man behind her. "I'm sorry if you've gotten the wrong idea. I think Lenalee's a very kind person and I'd like to be her friend. I think she'd like to be my friend, too. I hope you'll come to accept our friendship someday. I really appreciate her being the first person to talk to me at this school." Lenalee had to admit, she had noticed how polite Allen was the day before, but this was a different level. She could sense her brother behind her's mood change, though he definitely wasn't completely off guard. Her friend turned his attention towards her once more. "I think maybe we should reschedule. It'd be rude of me to intrude when Mr. Lee took off work to spend time with you."

She had to admit, he was good. While nothing he said felt like a lie, it was said in a way that caught both the Lees off guard. He gave her a wave and she was so taken back that she almost missed returning it completely. Finally, she let out an inaudible sigh of relief before turning back towards her brother, who was still glancing at Allen's shrinking figure.

"He's really polite, isn't he?" He let out his own sigh before turning back towards his younger sister, a softer smile on his lips this time. It was probably the nicest thing he had said about any boy she had ever met. "Would you like a ride home?"

Lenalee returned the smile and nodded, but she held out her hand expectantly. When she noticed that her brother had no idea what she was insisting after a few seconds, she finally spoke again.

"The ruler, please."


	3. Rooftop lunches - Allen & The Noah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allen agrees to have lunch with The Noah! Features Road, Wisely, Jasdero, Debitto, and Tyki~ I know aging Tyki down to put him in high school is probably an odd choice but I couldn't imagine not having Road cling to him so much.

Allen glanced towards Lenalee as Mr. Wenhamm asked to speak with her, concern overwhelming him. Had she done something wrong? He couldn't imagine that she was the type to get in a lot of trouble, but he had to admit, he didn't really know her that well. He would be the first to admit that looks can be deceiving and he had gotten in his own fair share of trouble in the past. _Mostly_ about being a card shark. Could it be that she had had a secret life of her own?

His thoughts were cut short upon feeling a hand wrap around his. His brows furrowed and his gaze shot towards the source, taking note of the girl that had made his new friend so uncomfortable. His cheeks turned a light shade of pink, though he didn't pull his hand away. It was a little embarrassing that she was so touchy after they had barely spoken, but overall he didn't particularly care about physical affection.

"Someone's in trouble~" Road sang before tugging on Allen's arm to pull him closer towards the door.

"Ah, I should probably tell--" The girl stuck out her bottom lip as she glanced back towards Allen, though she didn't stop trying to pull him towards the exit.

"You _promised_ you would have lunch with us, Allen! Don't tell me you're the type to break promises~" The boy shifted uncomfortably, glancing back towards Lenalee for a moment. It'd probably be fine, right? They had just met, it wasn't like it'd be unexpected if he didn't eat with them one day. Besides, what was wrong with making some new friends? And it'd certainly be nice to not have to deal with Kanda's attitude for a day. Allen finally let out a small sigh before nodding towards the girl. He couldn't really tell why his heart was dropping at the prospect of not hanging out with Lenalee, Lavi, and Kanda, but it was. Even though he'd only known them for a short time, they had been kind to him and he really appreciated it. Well, _most_ of them had been kind to him. But he couldn't say that he didn't still respect Kanda.

Road let go of Allen's hand and let out an excited laugh before wrapping her arms around the white haired boy's shoulder's to pull him into a hug. She was definitely _touchier_ than he was used to. He let out a nervous laugh before pulling her off of him. "Shall we?"

The young girl didn't grab onto his hand again, which he appreciated. Allen could feel the eyes of people he passed bearing into him and he couldn't help but wonder what he had gotten himself into. _Does she have a bad reputation...?_ He wondered, chewing nervously on the inside of his cheek. 

As soon as Road lead him through the doorway, he took note of the only other people on the roof seated in a circle. His brows knit tightly together, glancing back the way they had come. "Are we supposed to be here?" The small girl gave a wave of dismissal, practically skipping a few feet ahead of him towards the small group.

"Technically, no~ But no one's ever bothered us about it. Tyki's been eating lunch here for years." The white haired boy shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, not wanting to get in trouble with the school he had _just_ transferred to. Noticing his trepidation, Road skipped back towards him, grabbed his hands, and began leading him towards the guys sitting around. He didn't put up much of a fight. Even though it seemed like these people might be trouble, he wasn't really in a position to turn down new friends. And besides, getting on the bad side of bad kids _probably_ wasn't the best idea. 

"What the _fuck,_ Road?" Someone with long blonde hair called out, obviously referencing him.

Road finally let go of his hands and, as Allen was beginning to expect, was overly dramatic by jumping the last step before plopping herself down. "I brought a new kid~" She said, not looking back up at him but patting the spot next to her. Blue eyes glanced towards the group, taking in the faces one by one until he felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach.

"Well, look who we have here." The oldest smirked, "Aren't you that kid I met on a train a few months ago~?"

Allen rubbed the back of his head and laughed nervously, now suddenly unsure if he should sit down or take off running. _Was this Road's plan the whole time?_ The world was suddenly way, way too small. "Can't say I am."

"Hm..." Tyki chuckled, "Guess that's a pretty common scar, then." Even though he had been bullied for his scar before, he couldn't help but think this was possibly one of the _worst_ encounters he had ever run into. "Don't look so scared--I'm not mad about the money." Allen let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and Road tugged at his pant leg now that the situation seemed to be diffused. 

"Be nice to Allen~" Road whined as the boy finally sat down next to her, definitely still wary about the guy he had cheated at cards. If these kids were as bad as the school body seemed to imply, he didn't really think that Tyki would give up so easily. Road leaned her head on Allen's shoulders, grabbing a small lollipop from her skirt's pocket and sticking it in her mouth. "He's my new friend." Allen gave a sheepish wave to the others.

She grabbed the stick of the lollipop and used it as a pointer towards the other members. The boy on the other side of him had a headband around his head, much like Lavi did. "That's Wisely." She moved the pointer between two others directly across from him. "The twins here are Jasdero and Debitto." Allen furrowed his brows slightly, taking note that they looked _nothing_ alike.

"We're _fraternal_ twins, Fuckface." The dark haired one said, causing Allen to laugh nervously once more.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." Before Allen could even finish his sentence, Road moved on to the last one, the one from the train. "And you know Tyki." As threatening as he seemed, he was the only one to actually regard the introductions with a wave. 

"Don't mind Debitto and Jasdero, they have a mouth on them." Tyki said.

"Shut the fuck up!" The two of them yelled in unison, though Jasdero, the one sitting closest to Tyki, gave him a rather violent push. The white haired boy was _definitely_ going to have to keep an eye out on these two in particular, it seemed. He pulled a knife from his pocket, swinging it so the blade locked into place and pointed it towards Tyki, who had caught himself with one hand and was now looking bored out of his mind. "Don't make me fucking gut you!" _Yep. This was a mistake_. 

"Don't mind them." Wisely stated. "They're mostly all talk." _Mostly?_ Allen nodded, letting out a nervous laugh. These people were definitely rowdier than the other group of friends he had made. Even when him and Kanda had gotten into an argument, there hadn't been threats of gutting your friends. At least, not _yet_. Something about Kanda was really unsettling to him. Allen didn't actually understand how looking at someone could make him get _so_ angry.

Road moved from her perch next to him, moving to lay across Tyki's lap instead. _She really is affectionate, isn't she_ _?_ Allen commented to himself. She pouted, kicking her feet against the cement roof. "Stop it~ I want Allen to hang out with us more. You're gonna scare him off~" 

Tyki moved to place his hand on Road's head, gently rubbing her spiky hair. "Do you really think it's a good idea for him to hang out with us?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" 

"You know The Earl doesn't like it when you involve random people." _The Earl?_ Tyki shot a glance towards Allen and the smile on his lips sent shivers down his spine. This man was _truly_ unsettling. Even more than Kanda.

"As long as Road keeps it appropriate, it should be fine." Wisely piped up. "Or else The Earl will deal with it."

When lunch ended, Allen remained quiet as Road recounted stories about the people he had just met. He wasn't really paying attention, the whole experience on the roof just seemed too bizarre for him to move past. The twins had been so outwardly violent, it was a mystery how they hadn't gotten expelled yet if that was how they normally acted. And what was this business with The Earl? Something about it set him on edge and despite her strangeness, Road didn't seem like she fit in with those dangerous people. He glanced at the girl skipping beside him, his stomach falling to the pit of her stomach. No, he knew that she probably _did_ fit in. There was no way in hell this girl wasn't dangerous as well.


	4. Study sessions - Lavi & Lenalee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The main four gets together for a study session! However, Lavi doesn't want to study and brings alcohol instead.

Lenalee tapped her phone anxiously, listening to the tick of her nail hit it over and over again. Lavi was now an _hour_ late for their study session and he hadn't responded to her text, which was making her worried.

"Do you think he's okay? Why hasn't he texted?" She pouted. Allen gave her a pat on the shoulder, trying his best to keep her from panicking too much. She knew she worried a lot, but it wasn't too much to expect a text when someone knew they were going to be late, right?

"I'm sure he's almost here. Something probably came up with his grandpa or something." Lenalee stuck out her bottom lip, tapping the eraser side of her pencil against the workbook she had been halfheartedly working on. Her fingers moved towards the cat sleeping next to her at the kotatsu, soaking in the warmth of the heater underneath. Her eyes shot towards the door as she heard it open, an out of breath Lavi standing in the doorway.

"Sorry, sorry!"

Allen shook his head and stood up from his seat next to Lenalee to hurry towards Lavi, a wide smile on his face. He shook his head as he offered to grab Lavi's bag for him while he took off his boots. "It's not a problem! Lenalee was a little worried."

"I texted Kanda!" Lavi said defensively, not wanting to incur the wrath of a worried Lenalee. Instead, she shot daggers towards Kanda who pulled the phone out of his pocket.

"Hm, guess he did." He said in an unapologetic voice, placing the phone beside him on the table instead of putting it back in his pocket. Lenalee moved to smack the other in the arm, brows knitting tightly together. She honestly couldn't believe that despite how worried she had been, he hadn't even bothered to check his phone. Even Allen had been checking his phone every few minutes to try and keep her calm. 

As soon as the white haired boy grabbed the bag, he paused and his face twisted into a confused expression. "How many books did you bring, Lavi?"

The redhead grinned, grabbing the backpack from the other instead. "That's what made me so late." Lavi followed Allen to the kotatsu, dropping his back on the opposite side of Lenalee than Allen before kneeling down to rummage through it. He pulled out three bottles--one of vodka, two sodas. Kanda gave him an annoyed expression before smacking him in the back of his head. The girl shot daggers towards her childhood friend, though he didn't make any indication that he cared when his gaze met hers. 

"Don't bring alcohol to someone's house for the first time." Kanda barked, though his attention was now fully back towards his worksheet.

"I don't think he'd mind?" Lavi glanced towards Allen, who was nervously scratching his cheek. " _Do_ you mind?" Allen blinked a couple times before shaking his head.

"No, I just don't drink. You're definitely free too if you want to, though."

"Cool!" Lavi said as he scooped the three bottles into his arms. "Three drinks coming right up!"

" _Two_." The dark haired boy barked once more, though the only response from the kitchen was the opening and closing of cabinets as Lavi searched for cups. Lenalee had to admit--she was a little nervous about the whole situation. She had never even tried alcohol, but she knew plenty of people her age did even though they weren't supposed to. When the older boy returned and offered her the cup, she grasped it in both hands and gave it a long, wary look. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, but only Kanda managed to say anything.

" _Don't_ drink that." But this is was a normal thing for kids to do, right? They would try things and maybe get in a little trouble, but as long as they were in a safe environment, nothing bad would really happen, right? And wasn't hanging out with three of her best friends one of the safest environments she could be in? She pressed her lips tightly together before letting out a small sigh and bringing the drink to her lips. It was sweeter than expected, though she could taste the alcohol at the end. 

"It's sweeter than I expected." She said, glancing towards Lavi who was beaming at her with an almost proud expression. It wasn't often that she was one of the kids who wanted to try things that could potentially get her in trouble and she was sure Komui would get mad if he saw even that _tiny_ sip, but what was the harm aside from that?

After one sip, none. But after her fourth drink, she could definitely feel her body swaying from one side to the other and she could no longer focus on the workbook she had in front of her. The young girl closed the book and let out a dramatic sigh. She placed her head on the table, eyes looking over at Allen who was moving his gaze between his own homework and her. He laughed gently at her, which caused her to sit up and scoot towards him. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she placed a kiss on his cheek before leaning her head on his shoulders. "I'm so glad you're our friend, Allen~" Lenalee mused, placing one of her hands on his. 

She felt two arms wrap around her waist, pulling her in a different direction. She didn't really move so much as flop back on Lavi's lap, staring up towards him. "I think that's enough for you~" His cheeks were bright red and she couldn't help but wonder if the warmth on her face made her look like him as well. Her fingers reached up, gently running along his cheeks to compare the warmth between the two. A smile formed upon her lips as he locked his one visible eye with hers.

"I'm glad you're my friend, too." She said quietly. After a beat, she shot up, narrowly missing hitting Lavi in the head. "And you too, Kanda! You've been a _super_ great friend to me." Allen shot her a confused look, probably frazzled by the idea of Kanda being a good friend to _anyone_. Lenalee leaned against the white haired boy again, her body remaining incredibly close to his. "It's true! He walks me home every day and he _always_ listens to me." 

"Hey! I listen to you too." Lavi pouted. The black haired girl glanced towards him, nodding enthusiastically. 

"You all do! But I've just known Kanda the longest!" Finally, Lenalee moved to her feet to sit down behind Kanda. Her arms snuck around his waist and she rested her head against his back, causing him to stiffen up. "Kanda's my rock~" She giggled. Kanda grabbed her hands from his waist, moving them off of him. Still, he didn't do anything about her leaning against him aside from let out an annoyed rumble. "And he's secretly a big softie." The girl said, peeking to look in Lavi's direction with a finger over her lips. "But don't tell anyone." _That_ was when the black haired boy shrugged her off from leaning against him, though not particularly violently.

Lenalee pouted, and Lavi leaned over to grab her by the hand. "Here, you can sit with me. No need for Kanda to be a meanie~" She nodded, moving to sit right where he had been sitting. As he sat down behind her, extending his legs to make room for her, she leaned back against his chest to look at the other two boys. Lavi's fingers ran along her thighs as she sat cross-legged in front of him, but she didn't really mind. Her mind knew that this was _definitely_ something that would get her in even more trouble with Komui, but she had already impulsively kissed Allen's cheek _and_ gotten drunk. Besides, he was comfier than he looked. 

"Lenalee's apparently pretty cute when she's drunk." He mused. Lenalee tilted her chin up to glance towards him, a pout forming on her lips.

"I'm _always_ cute." Lavi couldn't help but laugh in response to that. 

"That's true~" He moved to rest his chin on her shoulder, a smile forming on his lips. "Everyone knows Lenalee's the cutest~"

"Is that why you're always texting other girls?" Kanda smirked, causing Lavi to throw the nearest book at him. Lenalee moved from her spot once again, this time moving to playfully smack Kanda on the cheek.

"Be nice!" She whined before moving to sit once more, this time propped up against the table of the kotatsu. She felt Lavi's arms wrap around her once more, urging her to lean against him once more. She didn't fight back and instead curled up against him even more by bringing her knees to her chest as she leaned on him.

"See~ Lena's on my side."

"I think Lenalee's probably just on the nonviolent side." Allen chimed in.

Lenalee nodded, pointing towards Allen in agreement with his statement. "Allen's right again!" She paused for a moment, taking in Allen's appearance as he stacked his books to the side, apparently having given up on studying completely. "But I mean it, I'm super glad that you transferred here!"

"I'm glad I met you guys, too." The white haired boy responded. 

"No, but you're like, way too cool to be hanging out with us. _Everyone_ talks about you." He laughed nervously in response, shaking his head.

"Everyone talks about all of you, too." Lenalee shook her head rapidly. She hadn't heard _anyone_ talk about her aside from the boys sitting next to her. People were usually too scared of Komui to even approach her.

"But you're so kind and funny and smart." She could feel Lavi tense a little underneath her. "Plus even Road has a crush on you it looks like. I wouldn't be surprised if there were more." Allen's cheeks tinted a light shade of pink, causing her to let out a small giggle.

"I think that's enough, you drunky." Lavi said, running his fingers through the parts of her hair that were down. "You'll make a guy jealous~" Lenalee turned to glance at him out of the corner of her eye before playfully smacking his cheek as well.

" _You're_ drunk too." She pouted.

"Not as drunk as you!"

"Drunk enough to let me lean on you!" She puffed her cheeks and shifted so she could comfortably cross her arms over her chest. He chuckled, leaning to place his chin on her shoulder.

"I _always_ want you to lean on me."

Lenalee rolled her eyes. "You're just a flirt. And an even worse one when you're drunk, apparently!"

His arms snaked around Lenalee's waist and a pout formed on his lips. "You say such nice things to everyone else but are so mean to me!" Lenalee moved from her seat, but this time simply turned to kneel to face the other.

"Alright, alright~" She relented, placing her hands on Lavi's cheeks. For a moment, she couldn't help but wonder if she had imagined his face getting redder, but shrugged it off as the alcohol in his system. "Mmm...I like that you're _really_ smart. And you always know how to make me laugh. And you're always there for me when I need help. Happy?" Lavi nodded in response and she leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek as well. This time she _knew_ she wasn't imagining his face turn bright red. 

This was met by loud stomping and Kanda pulling her up by the back of her collar. "That's enough, we're going home." He stated as Lavi leaned back to lay on the floor, he let out a loud laugh. 

"Sounds like Kanda wants a kiss on his cheek, too~" He teased as Kanda shoved Lenalee towards the door. She watched as struggled to put her shoes on as Kanda moved back towards Lavi, giving him a slightly rough kick in the side. 

"Nope~ Kanda won't let me. He knows what Komui'll do when he finds out." She teased. "And it's definitely a _when_." The girl waved as Kanda tugged on her wrist and she couldn't help but smile as she watched both Lavi and Allen's faces drop, likely imagining their horrific demises.


	5. Happy Birthday, Lavi!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allen, Lenalee, Kanda, and Chomesuke take Lavi to an amusement park for his birthday! Kanda ditches them for most of it, but that's just because it's setting up the next chapter which will happen simultaneously. Also long chapter. Lots of Chomesuke/Lavi/Lena with mentions of Allen/Lena from Lavi's perspective.

It was easy to convince Allen, Lenalee, and Chomesuke to come and skip any club activities they may have still had during the summer. It was Kanda who surprised him by showing up after being adamant that he wouldn't skip kendo for a birthday party--especially one for the likes of him. It honestly did surprise him most of the time Kanda did something he was so against, despite the fact that he usually did whatever everyone else did anyways. It was part of his charm, after all. He was moody, but he still made sure to look out for his friends. Lavi raised a hand as Kanda made his way towards the meeting spot, a smile forming on his lips.

"Glad you could join us, Yuu~" He grinned, only to be kicked in the back of the leg by the long haired boy.

"Don't call me that." He snapped back.

"Aw, come on, don't me _too_ mean to me today!" The ginger pouted. A hand moved to smack him in the arm and he turned to face Chomesuke, a sheepish grin forming on his lips.

"You know better than to tease him if _you_ don't want to be teased." Lavi pouted as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leaning most of his body weight onto her.

"Chomesuke, you can't be mean to me, too!" He whined, pretending to cry into her shoulder. "How am I gonna survive this if everyone gangs up on me on my birthday?"

"Stop being so dramatic!" The brunette said, pushing him off of her shoulder before grabbing his hand, locking their fingers together before pulling him towards the park. "Now come _on_." Lavi hurried to catch up with her, though he glanced back at the other three walking behind him. Allen and Lenalee were close as per usual, with Kanda trailing further behind those two with his arms over his chest. He really _did_ make it look like he was a fifth wheel, even though it was only him and Chomesuke that had any footing as a couple. He glanced back towards Allen and Lenalee once more, mulling that over in his mind. _Is that true, though_? They spent an awful lot of time together now. He tried to gauge the distance they were standing apart from each other and their body language, but before he could get an accurate reading on anything, Chomesuke nudged him with her shoulder.

"You're being obvious." She whispered.

"Is that a problem?" He asked, furrowing his brow.

"I mean, depends on if you want them to think you're being weird or not." She shot him a small smile, which made one form on his own lips. "But you _are_ weird so I guess that wouldn't be much of a difference." Lavi stuck his tongue out at her, which she returned as well before a chuckle escaped her lips. 

The first ride was his favorite--the roller coaster. The eldest bounced on his heels a little, calculating the amount of people needed in front of them in order for them to go first. It wasn't a _hard_ calculation, but Allen regarded him with amazement when the gates were closed right before him and Chomesuke.

"That was really amazing, Lavi." His brows were raised, eliciting a small chuckle from Lavi.

"I told you, Lavi's really smart!" Lenalee chimed in with a smile. The smile on his own lips dropped for a moment, glancing at her as she turned to face him. "I don't think I could have done that as quickly as you did."

Lavi shifted his weight nervously, rubbing the back of his head as he did so. "I mean, it's pretty easy, actually. It's just simple math. I just _really_ like being in the front." 

"Speaking of which," Chomesuke chimed in, letting go of his hand, "I _hate_ being in the front. Do you want to trade, Lenalee?"

Lavi shot a glance down towards the brunette, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. "You're _really_ not gonna sit with me?"

"Nope~ I'm way too afraid. Though I'm sure if Lenalee didn't want to, Kanda would probably sit up there. He might throw you off if you say anything weird, though." The ginger gulped, glancing from Lenalee towards Kanda, then back towards Lenalee.

"I don't mind." She chimed in. "It'll be fun!" He nodded in response, though his green eye moved towards the ride that was pulling in once more to let people off. Lenalee and Chomesuke squeezed past each other, switching places so that Chomesuke would sit with Allen and Lavi would sit with Lenalee. Lavi glanced back towards the older of the two girls, his lips turning into a flat line as she grinned back towards him. Finally, he turned his attention back down towards Lenalee.

"Do you like roller coasters?" He asked as the ride attendant opened the gate for the two of them. He got in first, squeezing as far as he could into the small seat to give her as much room as possible.

"I mean, they're not bad. They're not my favorite, though." She shrugged, getting in after him. Lavi took a deep breath, taking note of just how _small_ these seats were as her shoulders bumped his.

"What's your favorite?"

"Mmm..." She thought for a moment as the others gathered in their seats. "I kind of like the Tilt-a-Whirl. I also kind of like the water rapid kind of rides, even though they're a little annoying sometimes if you get too wet." Before Lavi could reply, the familiar jerk of the attendant releasing the breaks caused his pulse to speed up and he relaxed ever so slightly from his position in the corner of the ride. He kept an eye on Lenalee, gauging her reaction as the started to ascend. Her lips pressed tightly together, brows furrowed tightly, causing a laugh to escape his lips. Lenalee relaxed her face for a moment, looking back towards him. "What?"

"You look like you're concentrating really hard."

"I mean, I _am_! The buildup is the worst part!" 

"And I thought Ms. Lenalee Lee wasn't scared of anything~" He teased.

"I-I'm not! It's just--" And they released down the hill, the whole train of passengers screaming and laughing. It was a pretty large roller coaster, though he'd been on more exciting ones while traveling with Gramps. And, as usual, it was over too soon. When they came to a stop, he couldn't stop from laughing even as the two clambered out of their seat.

"Wasn't that fun~?" He said before glancing down towards Lenalee, who's legs were shaking ever so slightly. She still had a smile on her face, but he could tell that it may have been a little _too_ intense for her in the front.

"Y-Yeah~!" She said, still beaming up towards him. Lavi sighed, shaking his head as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder to guide her to the exit.

"You can say if you didn't like it, it's alright." His voice was a little bit more serious now. "You didn't have to sit up front with me."

Lenalee laughed nervously, shaking her head. "It's alright, really. It was still fun. It's just really different up front, you know?" He could feel her trembling slowing against him and he gave her a quick squeeze, just to reassure her before they met up outside the ride's exit. Allen and Chomesuke was laughing and Lavi snaked back towards her, wrapping an arm around her waist. Kanda remained as stoic as ever, mostly ignoring the conversation that had been going on between them, which seemed to mostly be raving about the ride. 

"What, didn't like it, Yuu?" An annoyed expression formed on his face, though he wasn't as quick to insult the other.

"It's _fine_." He said with a sharp tone. _Noted: Kanda likes roller coasters_. 

He couldn't help but smile as he glanced around to the different rides, finally landing on the next ride he wanted to go on. "Let's do the Tilt-a-Whirl~" Lavi said, glancing back towards Lenalee for a moment. She smiled back at him, which made him feel better about forcing her to go on the roller coaster. 

It was only when they got to the ride that they noticed Kanda had mysteriously vanished. Allen glanced around, brows furrowed. "Has anyone seen Kanda?"

Lenalee turned on her heel, easily the most concerned of the group given how close they were. Lavi would probably say that Lenalee was Kanda's best friend if he could _have_ a best friend. He threatened her the least out of anyone. "Should we go look for him?"

Lavi pressed his lips into a thin line, glancing around the crowd. "I think it'll be fine. I'm sure we'll hear him from a mile away if he ends up getting in trouble."

"At least that means I won't have to share a seat with Kanda." Allen said, letting out a relieved sigh. "I don't want to think about what he'd do if I ended up leaning too much on him."

"Ah..." Lavi glanced at their numbers, then towards the ride, taking note about how the four of them couldn't share one. He had wanted to share one with Lenalee if it was one of her favorites. "Chomesuke, do you mind sitting with Allen?" Dark eyes blinked up towards him and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Eh?" Allen said, glancing between the two of them as the young woman walked closer towards him. "Don't you two want some time together?"

"It's alright! I wanted to apologize to Lena--she didn't really like the roller coaster and she said she really liked this ride."

Lenalee's cheeks reddened slightly at his comment and she shook her head. "It's really alright! Chomesuke can sit with you if you want! I appreciate the thought."

"It's alright, Lenalee! I don't really mind. Besides," Chomesuke pulled lightly on Allen's cheek, a grin forming on her liips, "Allen's pretty cute, too~" This caused Allen's cheeks to flare up and Lavi rolled his eyes, digging one hand into his pocket as he grabbed onto Lenalee's to pull her closer to him in the line.

She had gone quiet as they waited in line, which made Lavi wonder what was going on through her head. Had she wanted to ride with Allen specifically? The way she was looking at both Chomesuke and Allen disappointed him slightly--he knew that they were close, but a part of him wanted to be noticed by her on his birthday as well. Had this actually become a double date now that Kanda had left?

He couldn't stand the silence any longer. When they sat down and pulled the metal bar across their laps, he leaned his head against the back of the seat and glanced towards her. "Are you alright?"

"Hm...?" She said, turning to glance towards him. "Oh--yeah! Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You seemed disappointed to be sitting with me."

Lenalee furrowed her brows, shaking her head. "Why would I be disappointed?" The ginger shrugged, uncertain how to answer her. He couldn't just flat out ask her if she had a crush on Allen, could he? Wouldn't that be too invasive? Besides, she'd never seemed interested in dating, so she'd probably just shrug it off. He glanced towards the car next to them, though he could only see Chomesuke at the angle they were at. It looked like she was having fun at least, which he appreciated. He really owed her one. 

The car began to move before he even had a chance to answer her question, sending them around and around in circles. If the seats in the roller coaster was too close, this was just ridiculous. He hadn't thought properly about how the two of them would be sliding along the seat, pressed up against each other because of the inertia of the ride. _Shit_. He thought to himself, willing for it to end as quickly as possible. He really should have just done it with Chomesuke and let Lenalee have her little date with Allen. 

Lavi wobbled a bit as they exited the car, making the younger of the two brace her arms on his sides to stabilize him for just a second before he got his bearings back. He glanced down towards her, giving her his normal goofy grin. She seemed a little better now that they were exiting the ride, though something about her smile didn't reach her eyes. _What's going on with you?_

Allen was the first to greet them as they got off, a wide grin on his face as he waved to them from the crowd of people getting off. "That was fun! I think it's one of my favorites~"

Lenalee smiled brightly as she moved back towards his side, talking about how much she loved it as well. Lavi shifted his weight from one foot to the other as Chomesuke grabbed his hand. "Everything alright?" 

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders as he lowered his voice down to a whisper. "I don't know."

The white haired boy let out a small groan as he attempted to use his shirt as a fan. The August sun _was_ bearing down on them quite heavily today, which quickly reminded him of Lenalee's _other_ favorite ride. "Do you want to do a water ride?" The younger of the two girls raised a brow towards him. "The rapid ones are pretty fun."

Allen smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "If you want to. It's _your_ birthday."

Lavi nodded, practically dragging Chomesuke in the direction of the ride. It was a longer walk and he made sure to keep a quick stride with Allen and Lenalee falling a few feet behind him so him and Chomesuke could talk quietly.

"Something's up with Lenalee." He said, not bothering to look back at them this time. "She's been quiet."

"Hm..." Chomesuke said, giving his hand a little squeeze before letting it drop to her side. "Is this a ride she liked too?" 

The ginger nodded. "I think this might have been a date for her and Allen." The girl next to him raised a brow and shot a glance towards him, causing Lavi to give her a quizzical expression.

"I mean, _we're_ kind of on a date."

"Huh?"

"Holding my hand, holding _me_. It's probably awkward for them."

Lavi tilted his chin towards the sky, biting down on the inside of his cheek. He hadn't really thought about that. He was just acting how he _always_ did with Chomesuke. "Maybe you're right." He sighed. "But she was also quiet _on_ the ride, too." 

"Just give her some time." Chomesuke assured him. "And maybe stop making it look as much like a date. We can do that later." He nodded, then turned on his heel with an exaggerated smile on his lips as soon as they got to the line of the ride. As much as he didn't like to toot his own horn, he knew he was pretty good at hiding his emotions. The girl beside him was also pretty good at it, which was a relief. He didn't want to sour his birthday party by showing how concerned he was for how Lenalee was feeling. 

Despite the length of the line, it didn't take _too_ long for them to get through. Chomesuke went first, then Lavi, with Lenalee and Allen trailing behind him. A part of him was glad that Lenalee still chose to sit beside him on the large "raft", not knowing what _exactly_ was bugging her. Still, she didn't turn towards him at all. Her and Allen were deeply engrossed in a conversation he could barely hear Allen's side of over the rushing water that echoed off of the fake rocks. He glanced towards the other girl, his lips turning into a thin line. He got her kicking his foot in response, which made him give her a quizzical look. _What am I supposed to do?_

Okay, he had to admit, he hadn't been on this ride before but it _was_ pretty fun. Up until the largest drop when their entire side got drenched in the water. He let out a loud laugh which mirrored Lenalee and Allen's, though Chomesuke was not nearly as amused by the sudden wetness of her closed. He couldn't blame her, he was sure he'd be regretting it soon as well. But for now, he couldn't stop laughing at their misfortune. 

It was only when they were getting out of their raft that he noticed the big, _big_ mistake he had made by being so amused by how wet they got. As they piled out, now with Lenalee in front of him, he couldn't help but notice how the wet fabric of her shirt clung to her in ways they hadn't before. As soon as he got on the platform, he turned towards Chomesuke, noting the same problem there. _Jesus_. He said, bringing a hand to his face to try to will the redness at his cheeks away. This was the problem he had with having pretty girls as friends--he wasn't exactly immune to their looks. Even though he had even gone so far as to feel Chomesuke up before, seeing her in public like _this_ was surprising. But that's how it was--he was known as being the flirt and the ladies man at school, but he never really looked to do anything more with anyone aside from Chomesuke. Even then, they weren't _dating_ by any stretch of the imagination.

Allen seemed to notice it, too. As soon as he turned around and faced Lenalee, his own cheeks pinked a little before he turned around as quickly as he could. "A-Are you guys hungry?" He said, motioning towards a seating area not far from where they were. 

"I could use some ice cream~" Chomesuke hummed, moving up towards Allen.

The two of them found a table immediately to drop their bags off. "I'll watch them, I don't need anything."

"I'm fine, too." Lenalee said, moving to sit down.

"Suit yourself!" The brunette said, linking arms with Allen as she practically skipped towards the line for food.

A few moments passed. "Lavi." Chills ran up his spine as he took note at how serious Lenalee's tone was. Had she noticed he had been looking at her clothes earlier? If so, he was definitely done for. "You and Chomesuke are dating, right?"

He blinked a couple times in surprise, finally meeting her eyes. He didn't answer that question--he honestly didn't know if he wanted to admit to Lenalee he had more fun with Chomesuke as more-than-friends and less-than-a-girlfriend. Friends with benefits, though the benefits were mostly flirting and kissing.

"You don't need to pay as much attention to me, then. I don't want her to get jealous or anything." Lavi rested his hand on his palm, glancing towards the two in line for a moment. _So that was what was bothering her_.

"Chomesuke won't get jealous." He stated, "She's not like that. Besides, she knows we're close."

"Still, maybe you should spend some more time with her. You two have been dating for a while now." His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Lenalee had just assumed that the two of them had been dating, and he didn't really blame her.

He finally glanced towards her once more, one corner of his lips curling into a smile as he moved to grab her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. "You worry too much." She opened her mouth to talk, but was interrupted by the return of Allen and Chomesuke--Allen with a large pile of chicken tenders and friends, Chomesuke with her ice cream. As soon as she sat down, he grabbed her hand and brought the cone to his lips, stealing a bit of it. Her hand moved to smack the back of his head, cheeks puffed out.

"Hey! Get your own!" 

Once the sun started to set, the four of them made their way towards the entrance of the park. Lenalee stopped however, glancing at one of the game stands for a moment. Lavi glanced back towards her, stopping as well to watch her for a moment. In the soft glow of the stand's light, she really did look beautiful. "You alright?" He called to her.

"Ah! Sorry!" She said, hurrying to move next to him. "I saw a prize I liked."

He blinked down at her a couple times, then towards Allen and Chomesuke who had stopped about five feet away. "Show me." A smile formed on her lips, moving back towards the stand to point at a rabbit that was hanging higher in the stand.

"I just thought he was really cute." Lavi nodded, moving to the stand as he took out his wallet. "What? Lavi, _no_. It's gonna be hard to get."

He chuckled, "We've got time for a game or two. Don't worry~ I'm just curious if I could get it."

Lenalee took a couple steps back, letting out a small sigh. At this point, Chomesuke and Allen had made their way to the stand as well. It was just a simple ring toss game, it shouldn't be _too_ hard, right? Though ring after ring, they bounced off the bottles that were set up. He put some more money on the counter, trying again. It was better this time, but still not enough. _Come on_. He thought, wondering just how many times he would have to try to get it for her. Though, his heart sped up as Allen moved next to him, a smile on his lips as well. "I'll help." He said, sliding some money on the table. _Damn it._

He did like Allen, he really did. A part of him just wished that Lenalee paid more attention to him than Allen. It was pretty obvious that she liked him and no matter how much he tried, she was just out of reach for him. Honestly, he had wondered if he should just give up trying to get her to like him, but Chomesuke had been the one who insisted that he didn't. It was her whole idea to get them to sit together as much as possible, but how could he tell Lenalee that?

 _Shit_. Allen _was_ better at the ring toss game, but he still wasn't very good. He was four games in, Allen two when Lenalee came up on the other side of Lavi, handing over some of her own money. It was after the second ring in a row that Lavi stopped throwing his, watching her as she expertly tossed her rings onto each bottle. "Wh-What the hell?" Allen stopped as well, his eyes widening as she got one after another until even the attendant seemed to be impressed. As soon as she finished, she couldn't help but let out a small giggle at what had just happened. "How the hell did you do that?"

"You have to know the trick." She laughed. "Komui used to do this for me all the time when I was younger so he told me how he was able to do it. I should have told you earlier, but you both looked so determined." She glanced between the two of them, offering them both wide smiles as the man retrieved the large pink rabbit from the rafts. Lenalee tilted her head towards Chomesuke for a moment, hugging the large rabbit to her chest. "Chomesuke said not to let me interfere until Lavi tried to go for a fifth game." Lavi shot a glare towards the brunette who had a guilty smile on her face. "But thank you, you guys." 

Everything he did to try to get her closer to him failed horribly, it seemed. When they reached the entrance of the park, Lenalee stopped and pulled a phone out from her bag to check the time. Her lips moved into a thin line, glancing back towards the park. "Ah, sorry guys--I should probably wait here. I was supposed to go home with Kanda."

The three of them looked back at her with surprise, but nodded that they'd go on ahead. "Ah--Lavi?" She called back towards him, which made everyone stop in their tracks once more.

The black haired girl closed the gap between them before sticking the rabbit out towards him. Visible confusion could be seen on Lavi's face as he tentatively took the rabbit, though he shook his head a little. "Ah--thanks?" He offered. "But I can't take this. _You_ wanted it."

"I wanted to get it _for_ you." She stated. "It reminded me of you." Lavi could feel his heart pounding inside of his chest as he hugged the rabbit a little tighter, a smile forming on his lips. "Happy birthday."

He nodded, a little overwhelmed by the sentiment. He glanced back towards Chomesuke and Allen for a moment, then back towards Lenalee. "Thank you, Lena~" Lavi moved in to give her a hug, which was slightly awkward with the oversized plushie. "Get home safe. And kick Kanda for bailing." The ginger said as he pulled away, offering her a genuine smile. She nodded in response, and when he turned back towards Allen and Chomesuke, he buried his face a little in the plushie's head to hide the smile grin on his lips. It already smelled vaguely of Lenalee, which made the memory of her calling it cute all the more vivid in his mind. 


End file.
